Effects of Spacing Between Stone-Rows on the Chemical and Biological Fertility of Lixisoils in Eastern Burkina Faso

Résumé fourni par la source

This study assessed the effects of stone-rows spacing on soil fertility and the potential for a fertility gradient to occur in a farming setting. The study was conducted in a rural area of Sampieri, eastern Burkina Faso, within a Sudano-Sahelian environment on Lixisols with a medium slope of up to 5%. The experimental design included three plots, each with a different stone-rows spacing: 15.5 m (P1), 18.5 m (P2) and 22 m (P3). Soil samples were taken at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm, with interval ranging from 0 to 15 m from the rows. Soil organic carbon(C), total nitrogen (N), pH and soil microbiological activity were measured. The study showed that C, N, P and pH levels improved more on plots P2 and P1 than on plot P3. Although differences were noted for microbiology, they were not statistically significant. A correlation was found and most soil fertility parameters. However, no soil fertility gradient was evident as a function of slope when moving away from the first stone-rows line. It can be concluded that the optimal spacing between stone-rows is 18.5 m and that it is difficult to deduce a fertility gradient within this interval. However, further research is needed for validation and confirmation of these findings.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.